After breaking the Japanese and Asian Records in the 400 IM on the first day of the 2013 Japanese National Championships, 18-year old Kosuke Hagino really started to heat up on the meet’s second day.
Hagino added two more wins to his total, though these two in events that are less familiar to him. First, he took the men’s 200 free title in 1:46.28. That’s the third-best time in the world this year, behind only the greats Sun Yang and Yannick Agnel. Hagino’s best time last year was just a 1:48-mid.
He beat out Takeshi Matsuda (1:47.12) and Yuuki Kobori (1:47.53) for this victory. With Hagino’s emergence, Japan should easily make the A-Final at the World Championships this summer.
His second win was even a bigger surprise. In the 100 backstroke, he swam a 53.10 to beat the Japanese National Record holder Ryosuke Irie, who was 2nd in 53.33. This is a race that Hagino didn’t even swim last year, but as we highlighted on Thursday, the big difference in his 400 IM this year was a big improvement on the backstroke leg.
Yuuki Shirai was 3rd in 54.13.
In the women’s 100 backstroke, Aya Terakawa ran away with the title and just missed her own Japanese National Record by .01 seconds. Her winning time of 58.84 is half-a-second faster than Missy Franklin as the best time in the world this year. She actually has the two fastest times in the world in 2013. Shiho Sakai was 2nd in 1:00.99, which is also under the FINA Automatic Qualifying Time.
In the women’s 200 freestyle, a new young swimmer may have taken the reigns. 17-year old Chihiro Igarashi won in 1:59.50, ahead of the coutnry’s best Haruka Ueda, who was just 2:00.43. Ultimately, neither swimmer was under the FINA A standard, so we’ll have to wait and see what the selection committee chooses to do.
In the women’s 400 IM, Miyu Ohtsuka won running away in 4;37.53. She won that race by blowing away Miho Takahashi in the last 50 meters. Takahashi was 2nd in 4:40.04.
Ryosuke Irie says he’s already planned for the gold medal in Rio
http://athletestalk.com/2013/04/ryoske-irie/
Having & Irie pretty much tied in Australia in Feb at 53.4.
He always had the free . For example , he & Fraser-Holmes were the best finishing freestyles it he 400 I’m as they were both 3 .46ers & now share the 1 .46.2.
However they were only a fraction ahead of YeShiwen’s split in London . He has has opened that free split up at this meet but still under a sec .
Having = Hagino . Auto correct jumped in .
He’ll be even better in the 200back. I’m expecting under 154.5 based on the form he’s shown.
The real question is which events he’s going to swim. Because if he loads up 4 events before the 400IM on the last day, he’s going to give up his most likely shot at a Gold Medal. In the 200free, and 100back (which take place on the same day), he would merely be a finalist.
Adding the 200IM to the picture, he could put together a 5 event schedule, but that is quite the ambitious quest, even for someone so versatile.
Does anyone know how big he is? Very solid swims.
I think he is not even 1,80m..
His London bio says 5’9 & 150 lbs.
I think around 1.75m or 5’9.
Wow, very impressive 200 time by Hagino, he is showing some versatility. suddenly, the Japanese men are in the hunt for a medal in the 800 free relay. Hopefully, Hagino is not peaking too soon and he’s 100% this summer.
and the 53 low after a 1:46 low 200 free … wow! this guy is the real deal! he could be the next mini-Phelps.
agree
he’s 18, going on 19 in August and those are monster times. In 2003 Phelps was 18 and went 4:09.09 in the 400 IM, and 1:45.99 in the 200 free
Hagino’s already faster in the IM. if he improves like phelps did, he’ll have the WR by 2016, and some pretty impressive backstroke time to fit